Former U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde dies

Thursday

Nov 29, 2007 at 12:01 AMNov 29, 2007 at 7:16 AM

Political colleagues and friends say they will always remember former U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde as a statesman, a consensus builder, a cigar smoker and a man who always liked a good joke. Hyde died early Thursday. He was 83.

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David Heitz

Former U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde died early Thursday. He was 83.

Political colleagues and friends say they will always remember Hyde as a statesman, a consensus builder, a cigar smoker and a man who always liked a good joke.

“No matter how gloomy the day was, we always had to hear one of his jokes, no matter how bad they were,” said Pat Durante of Addison, a longtime friend and former chief of staff for Hyde. “He said he was always a frustrated stand-up comic who missed his calling.”

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Yurs Funeral Home in St. Charles, and dates and times are still pending, Durante said.

In the political arena, Durante said he will always remember his friend as a statesman first and foremost, a lawmaker who always worked to reach a consensus.

“There were a lot of politicians, but no one was equal to Henry Hyde,” Durante said.

Hyde had served in Congress for more than 30 years after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois’ 6th District. The former Wood Dale resident retired from his seat in 2006, and he endorsed state Sen. Peter Roskam of Wheaton, who went on to win Hyde’s seat.

Roskam often refers to Hyde as his “political mentor and a legend in Illinois Republican politics.”

“Congressman Hyde unequivocally embodied the title of statesman in every sense of the word. His leadership when speaking on the House floor drew attention from each member in the chamber,” Roskam said in a statement. “The clarity of his thoughts, the wisdom of his foresight and the principled values he espoused were unmatched. It is an honor to succeed him in Congress; however, there is no replacing Henry.”

State Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-24th District, of Hinsdale, former DuPage County Republic Party chairman, called Hyde “a great gentleman and someone even his political opponents highly respected.”

He said much of the popularity of the Republican Party in DuPage County was because of Hyde’s many loyal followers.

“Congressman Hyde always conducted himself with class and civility in the halls of Congress, and earlier, while in the state legislature,” Dillard said. “And that is something today that leaders should try to emulate.”

Wood Dale Mayor Ken Johnson said his death is “a great loss for the city of Wood Dale.”

Johnson said Hyde helped secure an $11.4-million grant to fund a grade separation study at the Wood Dale/Irving Park Road intersection and brought in federal dollars to fund other projects like the Wood Dale-Itasca reservoir. Johnson said Hyde will be remembered for his constant and unwavering fight against the expansion of O’Hare International Airport and the proposed southern runway.

“He always had a presence in the Wood Dale community. He attended senior citizens' meetings and was always present for our Memorial Day parades,” Johnson said about Hyde. “He was also a good friend to the veterans groups in the community.”